The San Antonio Missions played host to the Midland RockHounds for four Texas League games over the weekend at Wolff Stadium. The Missions entered the weekend with a 6-6 record. The RockHounds were a game better in the standings at 7-5.

The RockHounds won the first game on Thursday, April 18, by a score of 2-1. The RockHounds scored on a two-run homer from Jake Goebbert in the top of the second inning.

The second game of the weekend, on April 19, finished in the Missions favor as they ended their three-game losing streak with a 10-0 victory. The Missions scored their runs by playing old-fashioned station-to-station baseball with all 13 of their hits being singles.

Saturday’s game treated the 5,463 in attendance to a stellar pitchers duel with the RockHounds winning, 4-1. Getting the win for the Rockhounds was Murphy Smith who gave up seven hits and one run in six and two-thirds innings. Mission’s starter Wilfredo Boscan took the loss after only four innings in which he gave up one run on three hits. These two pitchers held their opponents scoreless in the first three innings before one team figured out the opposing pitcher.

The RockHounds put up their first crooked number in the top of the fourth inning when Goebbert hit a one-out double and then came around to score on a two-out RBI single by Jeremy Barfield.

The Missions grabbed the bats for the bottom of the fourth inning in the hopes that they could plate the tying run. Unfortunately for the Missions, they were unable to capitalize on a leadoff single by Reymond Fuentes as he was stranded on second when the RockHounds recorded the third out.

San Antonio manager Rich Dauer decided to make a change on the pitching mound in the top of the fifth as Jeff Ibarra came on in relief of starter Wilfredo Boscan. Ibarra got the first two batters out before Midland center fielder D’Arby Myers doubled and then came around to score on an RBI single by first baseman Anthony Aliotti.

The Missions finally figured out Midland’s starting pitcher Murphy Smith in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Missions got a leadoff single from shortstop Jeudy Valdez. Valdez stole second base and came around to score on a two-out RBI single by second baseman Chris Bisson, in the process cutting the Hounds’ lead to 2-1.

“This park [Wolff Stadium] plays big, so you may not have many home runs but whenever you’re only down two or three runs your still within striking distance,” Dauer said. “You have to try and get your guys over to second and third so those singles have a chance to score a run or two.”

That deficit was short lived as the RockHounds loaded the bases in the top of the sixth. Midland shortstop Dusty Coleman scored when Ibarra walked RockHounds centerfielder Chad Oberacker with two outs. The Missions got out of the jam only giving up the one run but found themselves down 3-1.

Midland got an insurance run in the top of the eighth when catcher Beau Taylor reached second on a one-out double and then came around to score on an RBI single from Myers that gave the Hounds a 4-1 lead.

That would be enough of a lead for the RockHounds as the Missions failed to score in the bottom of the ninth off Midland closer Kyler Newby.

The Missions closed the weekend series with the RockHounds on Sunday with a 3-1 defeat in which the Missions didn’t score a run until the bottom of the ninth but by that time it was too little too late.

Following their series with Midland, the Missions (7-9 in Texas League) began a four-game series with Frisco on Monday, April 22 that continues through Thursday April 25.